This topic in the series is - Lighting. The first
thing to point out is that fitting working lights into your dolls
house is easier than most people think. Lighting will add warmth
and feeling to your dolls house and give it a more realistic
look.
The first thing
to decide is what type of system you are going to use. The two
most common systems are:
Whilst there
may be specific reasons where one would be used in preference
to the other, we at Dolls House Parade will almost always recommend
the use of the "twin wire" method. Furthermore, when
we install lighting for our customers we always use this method.
Because of this we feel more qualified to base this feature on
the "twin wire" method rather than "copper tape".
Why do we recommend
the "twin wire" method over the "copper tape"?
- Easier to
install
- Less to go
wrong
- Cheaper
Read all about
it in our Lighting
Instruction Booklet
Twin Wire
How It Works
The transformer
plugs into the mains and the wires from this are attached to
the power strip, which is normally attached to the back of the
house. Most lights come with 24 inches (60cm) of wire with a
plug on the end, which fits as standard into this system. Simply
plug your light in to the power strip sockets (a standard power
strip will have 12). So that you are able to test your lights
you will need a transformer and power strip to get started, but
other than that you need only buy a single light (or as many
lights as you want).
Preparations
for Lighting
Where possible
it is always better to plan your lighting right at the outset
of your dolls house project. The best time to prepare is when
your house is still in kit form.
Firstly you
must decide upon the location of your lights and the routes the
wires (on your lights) will take. Ideally, preparations should
be made before other tasks such as wallpapering and flooring are undertaken. This will avoid causing damage
to your decorations through installing the lighting later.
Once these
planning decisions have been made you are ready to go and buy
some or all of your equipment. Because of the individual nature
of "twin wire" the only necessary items required for
you to begin are the transformer and power strip and presumably
at least one light.
Now you must
create the paths for your wiring.
Dusty's
Tip
It is much easier if this work (drilling holes and scoring grooves)
can be done before the house is assembled. If you perform a dry
run build (see
Hints & Tips - External Decorating) it is quite easy to map out where
the lights will go which will then enable you to drill and groove
before assembling your house.
If, for example
you are fitting a ceiling light then you must decide on where
you want to position it.
Dusty's
Tip
To find the centre of a room simply draw a diagonal line from
one opposing corner to another and then repeat between the other
two corners. Where the lines cross is the centre of the room.
Ceiling
Lights
For a ceiling light
you must now drill two holes - one through
the ceiling above where you want to hang the light and the second
out through the back wall of the house where you want the wire
to exit. This will obviously be dependant on the route, which
you have chosen for your wires to run.
Dusty's
Tip
I would always recommend running wires across a floor rather
than a ceiling because it is easier to hide wires under a floor
covering rather than one for a ceiling.
The holes should
be drilled using a drill bit with a slightly greater diameter
than the wire - remember the smaller the holes the neater the
job.
Wall Lights
Wall lights are best
positioned on the rear wall of the house. This will save the
need to groove walls etc. With a wall light you will only need
to drill one hole (the exit hole). This (unlike all the other
wiring jobs) is best done after the wallpaper has been hung.
Where wires are to run across a floor the neatest possible job
will be achieved by laying the wire in a groove This groove can
usually be created by simply cutting a V-shape in the floor with
a sharp chisel or knife. Always ensure that
the groove is smooth - to avoid sharp edges damaging the wires.
Dusty's
Tip
never bury the wires on a permanent basis with filler etc. -
while the lights are usually reliable you may need to carry out
maintenance or even replace at some time.
Dusty's
Tip
Never secure flooring permanently. If you are using carpet or
flooring papers, attach these to a piece of thin card, i.e. from
a cereal box. This can then be fixed in place by double sided
tape - which can then easily be removed if required.
However, if
you are doing the work on a previously constructed house you
must make the best use of the tools and space available
Dusty's Tip It is OK to drill
angled holes for your wires (i.e. when using a large drill this
may be easier) provided the angle is in the direction of the
wire run.
Again with
the exit hole at the rear, the closer to the floor you drill
the hole the neater the job will be, i.e. use the floor as the
exit route by angling the drill see diagram.
Table Lamps
Obviously with a table
lamp the wire will trail from the lamp as it is designed to do
with this type of light. We recommend that the wire is trailed
to exit from the nearest point on the back wall and as low down
to the floor as desired.
N.B. skirting
boards may influence what is the best exit point for the wire.
Lighting
in Attic or Mansard Type Rooms
For a flat
roof house we would recommend the use of wall lights
A sloped roof
can accommodate ceiling lights. It is always best to use lights
on a chain because the chain is not affected by the slope of
the roof and therefore the light will hang correctly. A fixed
light will poke out at an angle. Drill your hole out onto the
back of the roof and then make a groove down the roof for your
wire to lay in. Your roofing material will then hide the wire
neatly.
Dusty's
Tip
Always make sure that no glue goes into the groove
where it would fix the wire in position. You should always try
to keep wires free to run - in case they ever need to be removed.
Selection
of Transformer
To power your
lights you will need a transformer and you should get this before
you install any lights (this will allow you to test individual
lights before installing them).
Always remember
the number of bulbs and not the number of lights determines the
transformer power required.
The normal
rule of thumb is as follows:
You should
bear in mind that a 6 room house with a single tulip lamp in
each room adds up to 6 bulbs (and will only require a 1 amp transformer)
however a 5 arm chandelier in each room totals 30 bulbs and therefore
requires a transformer rated at 2 amps. Adding Glowell
fires
and possibly Xmas
tree lights
further increases the demand on the transformer. If you use a
2 amp transformer you should use 2 powerstrips and balance the
bulb load evenly over the two. Clearly for a standard 6 room
house with average lighting, a 1 or 2 amp transformer will be
sufficient, however if further capacity is required, please call
one of our shops and we can advise you.
Now that the
route has been prepared and the equipment bought you can install
your light(s).
Dusty's
Tip
It is always best to test your lights before installing them
to make sure they work simply connect the transformer to
the powerstrip and plug in the light.
Dusty's
Tip
If a light comes with a plug attached it is easily removable.
Most lights come with
a 24inch (60cms) length of wire with a plug attached. The first
step is to remove the plug, which can be done quite easily. Simply
pull out the 2 pins with a pair of tweezers or small pliers.
Do not pull the pins out with your teeth - as dental bills can
greatly increase the cost of your lighting. Then, holding the
plug, pull gently on the wire - this will remove the plug. You
can now feed the wire through the holes (in the ceiling and rear
wall) and if necessary lay it in the groove.
Once you have
the wire routed through to the back of your house you can now
refit the plug. This is done by first feeding the twin wire through
the central hole in the plug. Then one wire is placed into each
of the two holes on the other side of the plug - first ensuring
that the end of the wire is bared to ensure a good contact. Push
the brass pins back - one in each hole.
Dusty's
Tip
Always make sure there are no loose strands of wire poking out
from the pins you should not be able to see any bare wires
as this can lead to "shorting". Re-trim the wires
if necessary.
If you have
laid the wire across the floor, whether in a groove or not, a
piece of thin masking tape should be used to flatten and hold
the wire into position. The wire is very thin and if you have
chosen not to create grooves, a piece of masking tape will ensure
the wire runs very flat against the floor and should prevent
it from showing through your flooring. Now fix the light itself
in place using Tacky Wax.
Dusty's
Tip
some lights have sticky adhesive pads - which we find do not
secure the light for long. It is best to remove these - carefully
as wires are soldered under the pad - and apply Tacky
Wax.
Dusty's
Tip
we would never recommend using glue when securing your lights.
Tacky wax will achieve a firm fixing but will still allow the
light to be moved for maintenance purposes.
You are now ready to
plug into the power strip and sit back and admire your work.
Hopefully your
wires will reach the powerstrip, but if not extension
leads
are available and simple to fix. A final tip for tidying up the
wires at the back of the house is to use masking tape to fix
the wires neatly to the house.
What to
do if a light doesn't work
- Check that
the powerstrip works. If the fuse has gone, the light on the
powerstrip will be lit. If necessary replace the fuse (always
use the fuse designed for the powerstrip).
You can also test by plugging in a different light, preferably
using the same socket.
- Check that
the bulb(s) in the light are OK.
Replace them to test if necessary.
- Check that
the wire and pins in the plug are making a good contact
remember that no contact will be made if the wires have not been
bared of insulation in the plug.
- Check that
there are no breaks in the wire - although this will be very
unusual unless you have accidentally cut through it while, for
example cutting out some flooring.
Conclusion
This twin wire
method is very easy to install and requires little or no maintenance.
We also feel that once installed it is more resilient than copper
tape and will give less problems in later years
However for
those still intent on using the copper tape system we have a
booklet available for sale:
Dusty's
Tip
If using copper tape always use non
toxic wallpaper pastes when papering - other pastes can cause a reaction
with the copper which causes green staining
If after reading
these tips you are still unsure about lighting your house please
contact us and we can give you further advice - or even install
the lighting for you.
N.B. This feature is based
on the products we sell and the information given is based on
those products. Where different items are used this information
may not apply.
Obviously space
does not permit us to discuss all lighting topics, however we
have tried to cover the questions, which are asked most frequently
in our shops.
Good luck with
your lighting and I hope this feature will have helped to answer
some of your questions and also enable you to avoid some of the
pitfalls, which can happen especially when lighting your first
house.
If you have
any queries that have not been answered by this feature please
contact us on
